Summary

  • During House of the Dragon, Vhagar is the largest dragon in Westeros.
  • Vhagar is the second-biggest dragon in history behind only Balerion, the Black Dread.
  • Vhagar is much bigger than Drogon from Game of Thrones, and only Vermithor can match her size during House of the Dragon.

House of the Dragon season 1's ending, Vhagar was claimed by a new rider: Aemond Targaryen, son of Viserys and Alicent.

As the biggest dragon in House of the Dragon​​​​​​. With that being said, it is interesting to compare Vhagar's size to some of the other more notable beasts of Westeros that will not be featured in House of the Dragon.

Related
Every Non-Targaryen Who Rides A Dragon In House Of The Dragon

House of the Dragon season 2 has teased the future involving dragon riders that are not Targaryen, with the show already having set some up.

How Big Is Vhagar Compared To Balerion?

Vhagar Still Cannot Match Her Partner From Aegon's Conquest

As established in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, Vhagar is one of the dragons used by Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives to conquer the Seven Kingdoms. Vhagar was ridden by Visenya, while the other two dragons, Meraxes and Balerion, were ridden by Rhaenys and Aegon respectively. Balerion - nicknamed the Black Dread - is widely known as the largest dragon to have ever lived despite never being seen alive on screen. That said, there are hints from both shows and descriptions from George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series that attest to this.

The Black Dread's size was formidable, and only Vhagar is regarded as being the closest dragon to have ever matched up to Balerion's sheer scale. During the time of House of the Dragon, Vhagar is the largest dragon in the world, given Balerion's death around seven years before the events of the series. Only the unclaimed dragon of House of the Dragon named Vermithor comes close to Vhagar's size, which is touched upon with the Game of Thrones prequel show itself.

How Big Is Vhagar Compared To Drogon?

Daenerys' Primary Dragon Was Big, But Not Even Close To Vhagar's Size

Undoubtedly, the most famous dragon in the Game of Thrones franchise is Drogon, the mount of Daenerys Targaryen throughout the series. While Drogon was not hatched until over 150 years after House of the Dragon's timeline, it is still interesting to compare his size with Vhagar's. Drogon was known to be big for his young age, dwarfing both his siblings Viserion and Rhaegal. That said, he is still nothing in comparison to Vhagar. Drogon, when last seen in Game of Thrones, was slightly smaller than Daemon's Caraxes from House of the Dragon, who is less than half the size of Vhagar.

This means that Vhagar is much bigger than Drogon, as evident by Drogon's head being around the same size as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones season 8, compared to Vhagar's completely dwarfing the likes of Aemond in House of the Dragon. The smaller size for Drogon is to be expected given the history of the dragons during his time. The dragons dwindled in size after the Dance of Dragons due to the catastrophic consequences the war had on the Targaryen's faithful beasts.

Prominent Dragons In House Of The Dragon

Notable Rider

Vhagar

Aemond Targaryen

Syrax

Rhaenyra Targaryen

Caraxes

Daemon Targaryen

Moondancer

Baela Targaryen

Sunfyre

Aegon II Targaryen

Dreamfyre

Helaena Targaryen

Vermax

Jacaerys Velaryon

Meleys

Rhaenys Targaryen

Silverwing

Ulf White

Vermithor

Hugh Hammer

Sheepstealer

Nettles (Book)

Seasmoke

Addam of Hull

Can Any Of HOTD's Dragons Match Vhagar?

Some Dragons In Westeros Can Match Vhagar's Size, But Not Exactly

While Vhagar is known as House of the Dragon's biggest creature for most of season 1 and the former half of season 2, the latter installment of the show introduced some who could match her scale. One such dragon is Vermithor, a dragon who was the mount of King Jaehaerys, Viserys' grandfather. Although the beast was riderless in House of the Dragon season 1, House of the Dragon season 2 saw Hugh Hammer become Vermithor's rider. Vermithor is still not quite as large as Vhagar but certainly offers more of a threat to the latter than smaller dragons like Caraxes or Syrax.

In Fire and Blood, the book on which House of the Dragon is based, it is mentioned that a wild dragon named Cannibal is almost as big as Vhagar, but it is never claimed during the Dance of Dragons. Another dragon who is claimed, however, is named Sheepstealer. Sheepstealer is smaller than Vermithor and was claimed by a dragonseed named Nettles in the book. In House of the Dragon, either Nettles or Rhaena Targaryen will claim Sheepstealer, introducing another of the reptilian creatures who could stand up to the formidable Vhagar.

The following section contains spoilers for Fire and Blood and likely House of the Dragon's future seasons.

What Happens To Vhagar In The Dance Of The Dragons

Vhagar Fights In One Of The Dance Of Dragons' Decisive Battles

Custom image of Vhagar and Vermithor in House of the Dragon
Custom image by Yeider Chacon

Toward the culmination of the Dance of Dragons, Vhagar and Aemond face off against Caraxes and Daemon. The battle that has been brewing for years comes to a head, with the two men and their dragons clashing in the Battle Above the Gods Eye. The battle sees Caraxes and Vhagar mortally wound each other, and the two dragons crash into the eponymous lake below. Vhagar, along with Caraxes, Daemon, and Aemond, all perish in the battle, which promises to be one of the most climactic in House of the Dragon.

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House of the Dragon
Release Date
August 21, 2022
Network
HBO Max
Showrunner
George R.R. Martin
  • Headshot Of Matt Smith In The UK premiere of Sky series 'House of the Dragon'
    Prince Daemon Targaryen
  • Emma D'Arcy Profile Picture
    Emma D'Arcy
    Alicent Hightower

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming

Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.

Directors
Miguel Sapochnik, Clare Kilner, Alan Taylor, Greg Yaitanes, Geeta Vasant Patel, Andrij Parekh
Writers
George R.R. Martin, Ryan Condal
Seasons
4